Craig Carlisle and Melissa Bowen have been central figures for Alabama Baptists in the effort to help guide churches in sexual abuse prevention measures.
During the Tuesday (Nov. 12) afternoon session of the Alabama Baptist State Convention annual meeting in Daphne, Carlisle and Bowen shared updates from the past two years of work in the area.
Carlisle, state convention president and director of missions for Etowah Baptist Association, reminded messengers of the sexual abuse prevention guide available at safe.alsbom.org.
As chair of the Alabama Baptist Sexual Abuse Task Force (November 2021 to January 2023) and its follow-up advisory group since January 2023, Carlisle said, “I wish that I could stand before you today and tell you that we have eradicated the threat of abuse in our churches, but I cannot. The threat is still there in our communities.
“I also wish I could tell you that we have had 100% participation from our churches in taking the necessary precautions to protect those who are vulnerable, but I can’t say that either,” he added. “Statistics say that approximately 90% of larger churches have taken at least some measure of prevention in their churches, but only approximately 60% of normative size churches have taken any measures of prevention.
“The good news is that the awareness of our churches has greatly increased. I know this because over the last two years I have averaged calls every other week from churches wanting guidance on if they should respond or how they should respond to an incident. I am glad to receive every call, but I regret the call is having to be made.”
‘Keep your guard up’
Carlisle also urged church leaders not to become complacent.
“Take action if you haven’t and keep your guard up if you have,” he said. “We are available to assist you in any way we can so that our churches are as safe as they can possibly be from those who may desire to do harm to those who are vulnerable.”
Bowen, retired attorney and member of First Baptist Church Prattville, has served as vice chair of both Alabama Baptist task forces and served on the two Southern Baptist Convention task forces related to sexual abuse prevention.
She shared updates from the national level, explaining that the work of the volunteer-led task forces have wrapped up their work.
To read more from the national level, find articles from The Baptist Paper and Baptist Press.
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